Dogpatch USA Revisited

Did you or someone you know visit Dogpatch USA? (top photo) Do you remember the Jubilation T. Cornpone statue? (middle photo) How about the Schmoo? (bottom photo) Then you’ll be interested in Friday’s Brown Bag Lecture at the Old State House Museum in downtown Little Rock.

How about the Schmoo? (bottom photo)

Dogpatch USA, a documentary film produced by the University of Arkansas Walter J. Lemke Department of Journalism, is being shown, followed by a question and answer session with filmmakers Dixie Kline and Matthew Rowe. Participants should bring their lunch; beverages are provided. Admission is free and hours are noon to 1 p.m.

The theme park, based on Al Capp’s popular comic strip, opened with great fanfare in 1968. The documentary focuses on the ups and downs of the park and the people who believe in its place in Arkansas history. According to the film, “The park took advantage of a period when the American public seemed fascinated with ‘hillbillies.’ The new attraction impacted locals and state residents, became an economic resource and a fondly-remembered place for family fun for a quarter of a century. Significant warning signs developed even before it opened, and the park took a roller coaster ride through changing ownership, economic forces and social landscapes.” Dogpatch USA closed in 1993 and remnants can still be seen from Scenic Arkansas 7.

Call the Old State House at 501-324-9685 for more information.

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